Rain damaging strawberry crops in Guilford County

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Strawberry grower, James Kenan has been worrying a lot lately about his strawberry crop after recent thunderstorms washed away 15 percent of their profits.

Kenan, who owns Bernie’s Berries in Greensboro, said rainfall can be damaging to his six-acre crop as it makes strawberries more susceptible to fungus.

“Strawberries need water, but they need it from underneath,” Kenan said.

Kenan sells other produce, but most of his income comes from people picking and buying strawberries.

“It is heartbreaking… It really is,” said Kenan.

Ingram’s Strawberry Farm in High Point also has water damage, but Rhonda Ingram said she can shrug it off a little easier.

“Every flower that is here, it’s a month before it turns into a strawberry. So that’s what we’re looking at and that’s why you just go ‘Let’s clean up the muck.’ Move on past it because there’s green fruit out there and there’s still flowers,” said Ingram.

Bernie’s Berries still has some good crop left, but Kenan said he hopes mother nature will cooperate for the rest of the season.

“You lose a lot of sleep over it, but really there’s no need in that too. Like I say there’s nothing you can do. We’ll overcome it and we’ll do OK,” Kenan said.

There are still three to four weeks left of strawberry picking season.